Details of the Gamux Factory Racing Team were recently released – Pinion will also be supporting the Swiss team in 2023. The two riders – Mike Huter (Men – Pro U19) and Lino Lehmann (Men – Elite) – will compete in various international downhill world cup races riding the Gamux Sego, a Pinion-equipped bike featuring a belt drive from Gates Carbon Drive.
Particularly noteworthy for the coming downhill season – Pinion’s innovative drivetrain, with minimal unsprung mass at the rear end, is now permitted for use in concert with a Gates Carbon Drive belt in competition under UCI regulations. Up until this point, only chain-based drivetrains were permitted. Dominic Tinner, Team Manager and Chief Marketing Officer at Gamux, swears by the performance and
reliability of the Pinion-Gates Carbon Drive system: “With the weight of the drivetrain at the centre of the bike, we can reduce the unsprung mass, shift the centre of gravity to the middle of the bike, and create more ground clearance. All factors that, above all, stabilise the bike’s riding dynamics and enable the suspension to achieve maximum performance.”
Chains and derailleurs no longer have to be swapped out, and the gears do not require adjustment. “The mechanic’s maintenance time is drastically reduced. This time can be used more effectively for set up and optimisation. The Pinion gearbox in combination with the Gates belt drastically reduces the risk of a technical defect,” says Tinner.
With the revised UCI regulations for 2023 it is now possible to race on a bike driven by something other than a traditional chain. Gamux, Gates Carbon Drive, and Pinion have been advocating for the updated regulations for two years – and their efforts have paid off. Dirk Menze, Head of Marketing and Design at Pinion: “Downhill World Cup is racing at the highest level. Here the performance of the bikes is taken to the extreme. After changes to wheel sizes and frame geometries, it is now time to revolutionise the drivetrain in this segment. We are proud to be pioneers with Gamux and Gates.”
